But to the international press, the summit at Newport’s Celtic Manor is about two massive global security issues - the encroachment of Russia into the Ukraine, and the growing threat posed by IS jihadists in Iraq and Syria.

As much of the world’s media points out, the summit was initially convened as a largely ceremonial event to mark the end of international involvement in Afghanistan.

But it could now be one of the most contentious in recent history, as the thorny issue of whether to place troops permanently in Eastern Europe comes to the fore.

US commentators see the summit as a defining moment for Barack Obama’s foreign affairs legacy, but in smaller nations, concern is being voiced about the financial capacity to afford extra military commitments.

“The agreement (on a rapid reaction force in Eastern Europe) is planned as the substantive centerpiece of the NATO meeting, which will take place Thursday and Friday and will be attended by President Obama, who will also stop in Estonia before the summit meeting. His aides said the trip was intended to highlight the United States’ commitment to NATO, and the alliance’s determination to protect all 28 members from aggression — from Moscow or elsewhere. For Mr. Obama, the trip is a chance to show Europeans that he is dedicated to NATO at a time when Russia is challenging the postwar European order, built on the principle of no border changes by force.” New York Times, USA

“This summer, the bad guys have looked energetic while the good guys have looked tired. We’ll see at the NATO summit meeting in Wales this week if there’s a leader who can step outside the crush of events and explain how fundamental the threat to the rules of civilization now is.” David Brooks, New York Times, USA

“In two years, President Obama could reconceive, renegotiate and rewrite a new North Atlantic Treaty, or at least restructure NATO so that it functions like a living organism and not a Cold War relic. Not only that, he could start first thing next month, at the NATO summit in Wales.” Anne Applebaum, Washington Post, USA

“World leaders, diplomats and experts have often fretted about the future of NATO and whether the end of its mission in Afghanistan would also be the end of its relevance. But as 60 leaders, including President Obama, converge on Cardiff, Wales, this week for a NATO summit, the uncertainty seems more than a little premature. The politicians and diplomats have no shortage of world crises crowding their agenda, so many that the drawdown of troops from Afghanistan, once a top priority, has slipped down the list of most pressing.” Los Angeles Times, USA

“A new era is beginning for NATO. Instead of planning crisis operations around the world, the Alliance is returning to its roots - the most important task now is to ensure the security of each indivdual partner through joint defence, as in the days of the Cold War until 1989. This new look appears likely to be decided in Wales at the NATO summit.” Die Welt, Germany

“When it was convened earlier this year, this was simply a summit of procedure to ensure the organisation remained militarily effective and examine its relations with non-member partners after the end of mission in Afghanistan. But these forecasts collapsed with the crisis in Ukraine, the annexation of Crimea and the rise of jihadism in the periphery of NATO. Now attendees will need to respond to a series of changing threats. They will also have to make tough decisions to tackle problems such as inequality in contributions, the budget gap between divestment or new forms of warfare and traditional power structures - structural problems that have been postponed in previous summits to sustain the illusion of consensus.” El Pais, Spain

“NATO should raise the guard on its eastern flank, with the pre-positioning of equipment, installation of bases and headquarters, more exercises near Russia and finally sending troops there on an almost permanent basis.” Le Figaro, France

“(Canadian Prime Minister) Stephen Harper is heading to a crucial summit of NATO leaders where the Western military alliance will give itself the power to respond to threats more quickly in the face of Russia’s continued effort to destabilize and break up Ukraine ... This summit, originally meant to mark the end of the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan, will instead signal a shift to the defence of Europe as the alliance’s central concern once more.” The Globe and Mail, Canada

“US President Barack Obama will officially name Australia an enhanced partner of the organisation, recognising the nation’s contribution to NATO operations, particularly Afghanistan, over the past decade.” The Australian

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